Go Dogs
Greene County, PA
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Joined: 08/09/2005
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Now, I'm a PUP newbie. Do you need electric brakes for a 10ft PUP? Thanks!
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tim5055
Kennesaw, GA
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Joined: 06/07/2002
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Depends, is it a 900 pound pop up being towed by an F-350 or is it a 2500 pound pop up being towed by a Rav4
Tim
Natasha's Camping Site
www.popupcamping.info
2005 Fleetwood Niagara
2004 Ford F-250 CC Turbo Diesel
A day without sunshine is like, well, night.
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Pete D
Washington
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Joined: 11/19/2005
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You may not NEED them, depending on state and tow vehicle, but they are always useful.
Six braked wheels on the ground are clearly better than four...
Some Ford OM's say "The brakes are designed to stop the GVWR, not the GCWR".
Some vehicles specify brakes in their towing limits.
I looked in the OM for a recent Land Rover and it said tow limit were about 2,000 lbs w/o brakes and 7,000 lb w/brakes.
1998 Ranger 4.0 4x4
1991 Scamp 13'
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Go Dogs
Greene County, PA
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I'm sorry, I don't know much about this subject. I think they might be called trailer brakes. It's a xterra (V6) pulling a one ton PUP.
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fairfaxjim
Fairfax, CA
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Joined: 07/18/2005
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Does your PUP have them installed? If it does, particularly with a smaller TV like an Exterra, you would be best to connect and use them. At 900 lbs., I doubt that it would have them, and unless your state requires them at that weight (it is 1500 lbs. here in CA) then it wouldn't be worth adding them.
Jim & JoAnne
2007 Toyota Tundra Double Cab
2004 Starcraft 11RT
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jmcgsd
San Diego, CA
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Joined: 08/11/2003
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You may want to check your state laws. Here in California if you are towing anything in excess of 1500 pounds, it must have brakes. Doesn't matter what you're towing it with.
'05 Lance 981Max Loaded
'91 F350 Dually 2WD CC 460 Gasser
AirLift Bags, Reese Titan hitch, Rancho 9000X
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Lovedays
Greensboro, NC
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Joined: 07/23/2005
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Personally I would not be without brakes on the trailer. I would think that you have them and the question then becomes will you connect them? I think you should.
I noticed you live in PA and looked it up, this is from the PA DOT website:
Service Brakes - A trailer shall be equipped
with a service brake system. See 75 PA C.S.
ยง4502 (relating to general requirements for
braking systems).
(1) The service brakes shall act on all
wheels upon application except for the
following:
(i) On inter-connected dual wheels, the
brakes may act upon only one wheel.
(ii) A vehicle being towed in driveawaytowaway
operation.
(iii) A trailer of a gross weight not exceeding
3,000 pounds, if the gross
weight of the trailer does not exceed
40% of the gross weight of the towing
vehicle.
Eric, Melissa, Morgan, Andrew
and Sam the Camping Canine
2006 Starcraft Antigua 235SRG
2004 Toyota Tundra SR5 Double Cab V8
www.thelovedays.com
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b2220128
29.72 North by 95.5 West
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Joined: 03/03/2005
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I have towed on flat terrain behind a Suburban without brakes and never notice any problems. On the other hand I took the same set up across the Rockies and was glad to have the brakes. With the same trailer behind a Durango, the trailer brakes were essential to safe stopping on any terrain. So the absolute necessity can be dependent on the set up. Nevertheless, for peace of mind and confidence when driving your family, if your trailer has brakes, spend the money for a good controller and use them.
Tom
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Go Dogs
Greene County, PA
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It appeaars the trailer does not have brakes! Thanks for the help.
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phil-l
Columbia, MD
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Joined: 07/13/2004
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Go Dogs -
Note that you can add brakes to a PU that didn't have them originally; in my case, it wasn't even all that difficult!
I highly recommend brakes on all but the smallest utility trailers. See links in my signature to pictures of my brake project.
Phil
'97 Starcraft PU
'00 Ford Windstar
Project pictures:
Adding PU brakes
Adding Airlift spring airbags
Tranny cooler, wiring and brake controller
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